“Mommie go faster!” My son has recently become a backseat driver.
“I can’t go faster, buddy. It’s icy and we’ll get into an accident if I drive too fast.”
“Why is it icy?”
“Well, it rained last night, then it got cold and the water on the road turned to ice.”
“Why?”
“When water gets cold it freezes. That makes ice.”
“Why?”
I take a deep breath, and study the trees as we pass by while I try to think of an answer that will end the interrogation. I settle on an elementary science lesson. Too much for him to understand, but perhaps pondering the information will stop the questions. “Water has three states. Liquid, Solid and Gas. When water is warmer than 32 degrees, but cooler than 212 degrees its a liquid, like when you drink it. When it’s 32 degrees or colder it’s ice, like the cubes in your soda at McDonalds. When it reaches 212 degrees it turns into a gas, like the steam that you see coming out of a pot of water Mommie has on the stove.”
There is silence for a few seconds. I think I’ve won this round then, “Why?”
Now I’m getting frustrated, and reasonable answers are quickly escaping me.”Because that’s the way God designed the science of water to work.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a very creative God.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s all powerful and all knowing.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s just the way it is. God just is.”
“Why?”
“Because there are some things God doesn’t tell us the answer to. We just have to have faith.”
“Why?”
“Because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
“Jesus is up in the sky. We can’t see him.”
Relief washes over me. He’s finally changed the subject. “God is up there too. God is Jesus’ daddy, remember? They’re in heaven, and the angels are up there too.”
“Uh huh. But my Daddy is down here. He’s not up in the sky. Why are the angels up there?”
“They, uh,” searching for an explanation a three year old can understand, “they work for God.”
“Do they have powers too?”
“Well, kind of. They help God, and he gives them powers to help him sometimes.”
“What they dos?”
“Sometimes they come down to earth to help people. Sometimes they’re just up in heaven worshiping and praising God.”
“Why they worship him?”
“Because he’s wonderful and great. He rules over all things.”
“Uh huh, because he has powers like Superman.”
“Kind of, but God is real. Superman is just imaginary. God’s the only real superhero.”
“Uh huh. Does God have a cape?”
“Um, I’m sure if he wanted one he could have one. Oh, look, we’re here. Come on, lets get out of the car.”
“Can God fly?”
“Yes, I’m sure God can fly.”
“I can’t fly.”
“No, no you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“That’s enough science and theology for one day. We’ll discuss the physics of aeronautics tomorrow, O.K.? Now get out of the car.”
